The Little Things in Between
by TrustTheCloak
Summary: A series of A to Z drabbles covering the small, little things that we never knew about Gilan.
1. Artist

**_A_** _rtist_

It was not a well known fact that Gilan could draw. Not just small doodles or scribbles, something done when bored or hurriedly describing something. No, Gilan could sit and glide his pen into creating beautiful scenes and creatures. The other Rangers might occasionally tease when they caught sight of him sketching out a scene at a gathering, but none of it was genuine. Sometimes Gilan would sketch out meaningful things for the other Rangers, if he had time. A picture of an apprentice laughing with his mentor, for instance, or Crowley having a quiet moment with Cropper.

Gilan had once drawn a lovely picture of Blaze and Abelard standing contentedly together, Blaze nibbling gently on a section of Abelard's mane. When he had given it to Halt, his mentor's face had softened as he took in the careful, painstaking outlines of the two horses, the realistic fringe of the manes and tails, the meticulous highlights in their eyes. Halt had kept that picture, carefully folded in his shirt pocket for a time, before giving it a more permanent destination in his dresser.

While they never brought it up again, Halt never forgot about the drawing, fondly sketched and given to him in a small but loving gesture from an apprentice to his master.

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 **A new series, one that will be simple to update so I have some motivation for my other stories.**

 **Drabbles, describing little unknown things about Gilan from A to Z, from things that he does, to things that he likes, etc.**

 **Please R &R.**

 **-TrustTheCloak**


	2. Bees

_**B**_ _ees_

Gilan had been fourteen the first time he had been stung by a bee. It hadn't been his fault, really, just a stroke of bad luck and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nevertheless, it had happened, and Gilan's body had reacted. Not just the normal small swelling and pain, but instead itchy red hives had littered his arms, and his breathing had turned into a harsh, hoarse, wheezing as he fought for air through his rapidly swelling throat. Halt had entered a rare near panic as he whisked his struggling to breathe apprentice to the castle infirmary, seated on Abelard in the front of his saddle. The castle healer had given an almost unconscious Gilan an herb that had diminished the swelling, and afterwards, in case of another sting, Halt had not let his student leave the cabin in the week it took for the healer to gather enough of the herbs to give to Halt in case it happened again.

Gilan would later complain that Halt was being an over-protective mother hen, even in his first few months of apprenticeship. Halt would roll his eyes and deny it, stating simply that someone had to keep Gilan from killing himself from his lack of self-preservation. In truth, however, Halt slightly acknowledged the statement, because really, he would go to any length to keep his apprentices safe.

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 **Yes. XD Gilan has allergies.**

 **Two updates in one day. Drabbles are sort of nice to write...**

 **-TrustTheCloak**


	3. Cauliflower

_**C**_ _auliflower_

Gilan turned his nose up at turnips, gagged at kale, and tolerated asparagus. He liked most every other vegetable, but none quite as much as cauliflower. He couldn't quite explain why he liked the less well known vegetable so much. It might be the texture, the crunch, the slightly bland but unique taste... Whatever it was, something about it made Gilan absolutely love it. When Halt and Gilan were simply relaxing without any missions or training to be done, it wasn't uncommon for Gilan to be nibbling on a piece of cauliflower as he wandered around the cabin or lounged in front of the fire.

Halt, never having been particularly fond of cauliflower, could never understand why Gilan enjoyed it so much. However, whenever he went to the market, he never failed to bring back a large head of the white, flowery vegetable. For even if Halt never ate it, Gilan always did, which was a good enough reason by itself.

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 **So... I like cauliflower, too. XD**

 **These are so fun to write! They're way easier to write then my chapter stories.**

 **Please review!**

 **-TrustTheCloak**


	4. Daffodils

_**D**_ _affodil_

If anyone asked what Gilan's favorite flower was, he would probably answer a daffodil. Not from any particularly knowledgeable reason, but more one from sentiment. His mother had always been especially fond of the bright, cheery flower. She had a small garden in the castle courtyard, filled with different varieties of flowers, from roses to peonies to tulips, but mostly daffodils. Yellow daffodils, white daffodils, gold daffodils with striking orange centers.

He had vivid memories of walking with his mother down the garden lane, his hand in hers, listening intently as she named the different flowers. "Which one if that?" He had asked, kneeling beside a blossom he didn't recognize. His mother had smiled and gently stroked the bloom.

"That, little bird, is a daffodil. It's my favorite type."

"Why's that?" Gilan said in reply, curiosity shining in his blue eyes.

His mother had laughed, pressing a light kiss on his face, her smooth hair gently tickling his cheek. "I love them because they represent hope and new beginnings. They're the first flowers to bloom in the spring. Even after a long, hard winter, they still bloom."

Gilan never forgot his mother's words. Every spring, he would eagerly anticipate the first blooms from the flowers in front of his cabin, and the hope he had learned long ago to recognize from them.

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 **I wish we learned more about Gilan's mother. She's going to appear in a few chapters in _I'm Not Overreacting._**

 **Please review!**

 **-TrustTheCloak**


	5. Expressive

_**E**_ _xpressive_

Possibly, Gilan's most distinctive feature were his bright, expressive blue eyes. Normally shining with light, curiosity, and mischief, you could tell how the boy was feeling just by looking at his eyes. Pure, untethered joy to mind numbing sadness, to careful contemplation, it showed up as easily as reading a heading on top of a paper. Gilan's mother had often told her husband, with a sort of loving awe, " _That boy can see right into you. That boy can see your soul_ ".

Halt had, at first, thought that it might be a problem. A Ranger had to be secretive, not wearing his thoughts and emotions on his sleeve; or in this case, eyes. A short time later, however, Halt accepted them, and went even as far as to be fond of them . Gilan would learn how to mask it, when he needed to.

Though Halt never said it aloud, Gilan's eyes, in an odd, unexplained way, made him feel brighter when they were on him, with their deep, studying look; even the times when he complained about Gilan using "weapons of the sky blue variety" to his advantage, for it was always hard to stay irritated when those wide blue orbs would blink innocently at him.

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 **Please review... Yeah, we had a crazy snowstorm, so I'm just passing the time. First snow day for the schools in over 25 years.**

 **-TrustTheCloak**


	6. Finicky

_**F**_ _inicky_

Halt was fairly certain that Gilan was a finicky eater. True, he was only outwardly fussy with a few certain foods, and normally quietly ate whatever food Halt put before him. The thing that had Halt convinced was how _little_ Gilan seemed to eat. He would nibble at it rather distractedly, finishing half, two thirds, before slowly pushing it away, claiming that he was full. The boy did snack more during the day, but rarely actually finished a large, set meal. Gilan, with a small smile and a small shrug, always answered, "It's a lot of food, Halt. I'm just not ever hungry for that much in one go."

It was because of Gilan's finicky habits (yes, Halt was sure that his student would be considered finicky, and high maintenance to boot), that Halt took to carrying small, simple foods in his saddle bags when they went out. Every couple hours he would toss an apple or something similar to his student, who would eat it without complaint.

Gilan eventually learned to eat like a proper person, but despite his protests, Halt always attributed his thinness and lankiness to him being fussy.

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 **Please review, if you can spare the time. :)**

 **I've reread Tournament at Gorlan for the third time, and am still totally loving how amazing it is.**

 **-TrustTheCloak**


	7. Gutsy

_**G** utsy_

If Halt was asked to describe Gilan in a word, many would come to mind. Irritating, intelligent, wonderful, troublesome, spunky, tiring... All those words could accurately explain his apprentice. However, Halt usually preferred the word "gutsy". It covered his determination, boldness, fearlessness, and overall his instinctively spirited nature. Gutsy rolled off the tongue in a certain way, a certain tone that seemed to transmit all of Gilan's best qualities, the qualities that Halt approved of and had seen in him since he was a little boy.

Will had similar qualities, definitely, from the enthusiasm, determination, courage, and many others, but Halt never explained him as gutsy. Will, in Halt's mind, was usually described as resourceful, because though his two apprentices had many similarities, they also had many differences, and "gutsy" was a word that was so totally, so completely Gilan's.

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 **Happy holidays, everyone! I'm feeling slightly proud of myself, because after my relatively long (not on purpose) hiatus from publishing/updating anything, I feel that lately I've been doing a lot better about getting new things up. So, yay!**

 **Letter H next... I'm hoping to get some speedy updates on this story.**

 **Have a great New Year!**

 **-TrustTheCloak**


	8. Habits

_**H**_ _abits_

Gilan had always had the nervous habit of biting his nails. When he was troubled, anxious, on edge, or anything similar to it, his first natural response to it was to chew his fingernails. He did it unconsciously, nibbling them until they were short and worn and ragged. He tried to control himself, but it was so instinctive that he often didn't realize he was doing it until the damage was already done.

It bothered Halt to no end. He, like any good parental figure would, tried his best to stop it. He constantly reminded his student to cease if he caught him at it, and always pulled Gilan's hand away if he was next to him and Gilan made a move to gnaw at his nails.

Gilan improved... slightly. While he did learn to limit himself, the habit was always there, and Gilan, no matter how much older he got, still chewed them if he was anxious enough. However, Halt never stopped trying.

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 **I think that this could actually be canon, because, as I've studied the books more (especially in book two), Gilan seems to gnaw on his thumbnail a lot, such as when he's trying to figure out a plan on what to do when his mission isn't going to plan (I think that Gilan was pretty stressed out all of book two, no matter how cheery he might seem!)**

 **-TrustTheCloak  
**


	9. Ice

_**I** ce_

Gilan liked ice. Ice was fun, from making especially brutal snowballs to throw at people (mainly sentries, and when he was feeling extremely brave, Halt), to making exceptionally slick runs for sleds. Even stupid things, like licking a cold piece of metal to see what would happen and having to listen to Halt's sarcastic comments while trying to retain a shred of dignity. Gilan's absolute favorite, however, was ice skating. The feeling of simply gliding over the smooth surface was something he was unable to recreate anywhere else. Even slipping and falling carried a sense of invigoration, if not a little bit of pain.

Halt strongly disagreed, and constantly asked (told) his student to slow down, take a break, or better yet, not do it at all. Gilan argued that it was because he was a much better ice skater then his teacher, which, unfortunately, was true. Gilan could literally skate circles around Halt, who, in the few times Gilan had convinced him to do it, slid and stuttered and swayed.

In truth, though Halt would never admit it, was because it made him nervous. Halt still could vividly remember the awful memory of Gilan slipping on the ice, his hand frantically shooting out to catch himself despite Halt's too late but desperate, " _Don't!"_. There had been a sickening crack as his left wrist broke, and Halt still shuddered just thinking about it.

Gilan was fine, of course, his wrist as good as new after a careful eight weeks. He still loved to ice skate, and though Halt didn't stop him, he still felt a sense of stress every time his student set foot on the ice.

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 **I just can't get enough of parental Halt. The feels... Argh. I'm debating on whether to elaborate this chapter in a separate one-shot: Readers, would you like to see this? Letter J is next.**

 **-TrustTheCloak**


	10. Jelly

_**J** elly_

Gilan loved jelly. The many different varieties, the taste (on toast, of course; it was far too sweet by itself), but really, the best part was the texture. It never ceased to amaze him how someone could actually make something of that consistency and still have it edible. "It's just so squishy and bouncy, Halt!" was Gilan's enthusiastic response every time Halt exasperatedly told him to _stop playing with his food and eat!_

It eventually became standard for Halt to bring home two jars of jelly - one to spread on toast, and the other for Gilan to experiment with. "I want to be able to spread jelly on my toast, without looking at it and wondering where your hands have been," was Halt's response whenever his student asked why so much.

While Halt always grumbled Gilan should just not mess with the preserves, he was grateful for the fact that his student at least had the decency to only use the jar very clearly marked, "GILAN'S".

* * *

 **I have no excuses... just, lack of muse, I guess?**

 **I love reviews! Letter K is next.**

 **-TrustTheCloak**


	11. Kindly

_**K**_ _indly_

Gilan, despite his mischievous character and tendency to pull pranks, was in essence a very kindly person. He was naturally very easy going; if he could see the sense in an action, he wasn't going to argue. Gilan was usually quite understanding, and an expert at putting people at ease. While that skill gave him an edge at solving conflicts between people, if the contention grew to be too much, Gilan tended to shut down. All the friction seemed to make him anxious and he became quiet and withdrawn until it was solved.

Halt had noticed that even though Gilan was a master prankster and had a good tongue for sarcasm, it was rarely anything more than banter. Gilan considered it to be a game, fun and amusing. He hardly ever meant to hurt anyone with his words, and in the occurrences that his speech was taken the wrong way, the tall Ranger was always quick and sincere in his apologies. Halt, inclined himself to be more harsh, always admired his student's naturally gentle nature.

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 **I'm loving Gilan more and more...**

 **Almost half way through this little story! I hope you are enjoying reading it as much I as I am writing it!**

 **Reviews make my day.**

 **-TrustTheCloak**


	12. Lanky

_**L**_ _anky_

Ever since he was a small boy, Gilan was always rather tall for his age and almost alarmingly thin. He never ate more than what seemed the bare minimum and seemed to have barely an ounce of excess weight on his body. His mother worried about his health and fussed over what he ate; his father worried about him getting pulverized by Battleschool students and practiced weapon work with him. His lighter, willowy build made him more injury prone and he was often assigned a better balanced sword that was easier for him to maneuver.

Though he hadn't told many people, Gilan disliked being called lanky. It seemed to have such a derogatory tone to it (mostly ingrained in his mind due to cruel teasing as a Battleschool apprentice). When one thought of the word "lanky", they seemed to associate it with words like spindly, gangling, scrawny. Gilan instead thought of himself as "lithe". While he admitted that lanky was a completely accurate word in describing his build, Gilan always preferred the more positive sound of "lithe".

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 **Yay for backstories - A random one sort of worked its way into this, but I figured I could leave it. I'd love to explore his Battleschool days more... Thoughts?**

 **We are now officially half way through with this little story! Letter M is next.**

 **Reviews make me write faster. :D**

 _ **-TrustTheCloak**_


	13. Mountain Lions

_**M** ountain Lions_

Gilan was somewhat afraid of mountain lions. And by somewhat, it was quite a bit. He could vividly remember the impact knocking him from his horse, the dirty smell, the calculating look in the amber eyes, the instinctive terror that had filled him. It wasn't a completely incapacitating fear, but he couldn't help feeling slivers of fear creep through his being whenever he was faced with the prospect of facing one.

Halt didn't blame him. Everyone had fears, and Gilan's experience that gave him the fear had been traumatic. Halt had been there when he had been found, helping a rather frantic David search. Halt remembered the then thirteen year old's quivering form, shaking legs, clammy skin, and most of all, the dark, ugly bruises that had colored his neck. Halt, in an attempt to ensure it didn't happen again, had tracked down the lion. Long before Gilan had officially become his apprentice, Halt had already been looking after him.

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 **Long wait. Life's been a bit busy. Not my favorite chapter, but it's something to post, and as I get back into the groove they should get better. Thanks for everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! Next update should happen within this week.**

 **-TrustTheCloak**


	14. Orderly

**_O_** _rderly_

For being as restless and energetic as he was, Gilan was surprisingly orderly. His room was always neat and tidy, the bed covers straight and the floors clear. While his person might not be kept as neat, obvious from the frequent grass stains on his knees as an apprentice, to the dirt smudging his face, to the random various leaves and things that found their way into his hair, the boy's personal space was always totally immaculate.

It shocked Halt to no end. He described his apprentice as flighty at best, and clumsy at worst. That his antsy, trips-over-his-own-legs Gilan could keep something so neat was one of the strangest things the older Ranger had experienced in his life, which was saying something. While Gilan might grumble over doing housework, that didn't stop him from doing an excellent job. The years Gilan lived in Halt's cabin was the cleanest it had ever been, and Halt was still waiting for the day that Will cleaned the house to Gilan's standards.

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 **I loved the new Brotherband book. A lot. I especially liked how much it focused on the crew dynamics. Also, the next Early Years book comes out in November! With a confirmed pre-apprentice Gilan! I about died when I heard.**

 **Read and leave a review, if you have a moment? :)**

 **-TrustTheCloak**


	15. Notebook

**So, it occurred to me I forgot letter N... Whoops.**

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 _ **N** otebook_

Gilan always carried a notebook with him. If he was at his cabin, it was set neatly on the nightstand. If he was traveling, the notebook sat in a special pocket in Blaze's saddlebags. It contained many things, from the various drawings he was so talented at, to rough drafts of letters, to lists, to small personal entries. He had also taken the time to train himself to write with his less dominant left hand, figuring that from the saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword", it might serve useful to be ambidextrous in his writing as well as his weapon work. Though his left hand's penmanship was still not as fluent as the right's, it was still clear and neat.

During the third year of Gilan's apprenticeship, Halt had been discarding old papers and reports, and Gilan had unwittingly left his notebook on Halt's desk. Halt had unknowingly taken the tattered, ragged looked book and burned it with the rest of the papers he had scrapped. Gilan had been completely horrified, dejected, and just a little bit furious. Halt, in a bewildered attempt to mend the problem, had bought him an expensive tablet. Gilan immediately perked up and quickly forgave him, while Halt remained fuddled as to why anyone would grow that attached to a pad of paper.

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 **I was reading through and realized that there was no letter N... I'm a little shocked I didn't notice. I swear, I know my alphabet!**

 **Reviews are loved.**

 **-TrustTheCloak**


	16. Persistent

_**P**_ _ersistent_

Ever since he had been a small child, Gilan was known for his persistence. David would reminisce with exasperated fondness of the many occasions that he had carried a wriggling toddler from the stable, Gilan somehow managing to slip past him in his desire to see the horses. Old nannies would recall the number of evenings their charge would slip past them after they had put him to bed. Sentries remembered how determined the boy was to climb the castle wall despite how many times they chased him off.

Halt's most vivid memory of Gilan's persistence was the work that his student put into his archery. Gilan was by no means a natural; he had been trained and raised a swordsman. However, the apprentice had been determined to sharpen his shooting skills. It took sore muscles and a substantial amount of lost arrows, but Gilan eventually became a very competent archer. Gilan would later answer anyone who asked about his shooting "that he got by", but Halt knew better. It was often overlooked by Halt and Will's legendary accuracy, but in truth, Gilan was one of the better archers in the Ranger Corps, with only a handful that would be able to out shoot him. Halt would later claim credit for his apprentice's skills, but Halt couldn't help but attribute at least some of it to a natural persistence.

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 **Next up: Letter O.**

 **I really like reviews, if you have a minute to spare.**

 **-TrustTheCloak**


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